Arkansas PBS > Programs > Clean Lines, Open Spaces
Clean Lines, Open Spaces: A View of Mid-Century Modern Architecture
"Clean Lines, Open Spaces: A View of Mid-Century Modern Architecture" focuses on the construction boom in the United States after World War II. Sometimes considered cold and unattractive, mid-century modern designs were a by-product of post-war optimism and reflected a nation's dedication to building a new future. This new architecture used modern materials such as reinforced concrete, glass and steel and was defined by clean lines, simple shapes and unornamented facades.
The documentary looks at examples of mid-century modern architecture around the state, from the University of Arkansas's Fine Arts Center designed by Arkansas native and internationally known architect Edward Durell Stone to the Tower Building in Little Rock, the Fulbright Library in Fayetteville that reflects the aesthetics of famous Chicago architect Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe, and the abandoned Hotel Mountainaire, perfectly defining art moderne.
Educator Guide
Teachers. Bring Mid-Century Modern Architecture to your classroom with this comprehensive educator guide which meets a variety of frameworks and includes activities in research and model making. Download PDF (128 Mb) »
Marlon Blackwell
ArchitectTroy & Sue Dennis
Owners of Modern Home in Huntsville, Arkansas- Student Field Trips to Their House
- What They Like Most About Their House
- The Wonders of a Flat Roof House
June Freeman
Architecture Advocate- What Defined a Modern Person
- The World was Changing
- People Don't Think They Can Afford an Architect
- Memory is Encoded in Architecture
Ethel Goodstein-Murphree
Associate Dean Fayetteville School of Architecture, Professor of Architecture UA Fayetteville- Form Follow Function
- Modernism And The South
- Evaluating Mid-Century Modernism
- Modernism And The School of Architecture in Fayetteville
Michele Halsell
Grew Up in Carlson Terrace ApartmentsErnie Jacks
Architect / Professor Emeritus of Architecture, UA Fayetteville- Your Definition of Mid-Century Modern Architecture
- What Was Your Defining Memory of Ed Stone
- Projects You Worked On With Ed Stone
Vanessa McKuin
Historic Presentation Alliance of Arkansas - Executive Director- Criteria for Historic Buildings
- Priorities for Mid-Century Modern Preservation
- Future Potential for Hotel Mountainaire
- What Constitutes a Successful Renovation
Charles Penix
Architect- The Challenges of Mid-Century Modern Architecture Over Time
- What Makes a Good Design
- What Makes a Building a Failure
- The Attraction of Designing a Home
Reese Rowland
- Architecture is Like a Timeline of History
- The Machine Like Qualities of Mid-Century Modern Architecture
- People Who Don't Like Mid-Century Modern Architecture
- The Excitement of Watching a Building Go Up